John 14:15 – – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  NASB

Jesus gave us a straightforward method of knowing whether we love God, as depicted in the verse above.  Do we keep His commandments?   If the answer is yes, then we may love Him.  If the answer is no, we can safely say we do not.  There is much more in scripture regarding knowing that we love God and evidence that we do.

We find in 1 John 3:16-24 – “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.  23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”   

In 2 John 6 – “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” NIV

If we do not walk in and exhibit love, then how can we say that we love God?  Jesus went even further and declared in 1 John 4:20 – “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

We all know that some people are easier to love than others, but the commandment is not to love selectively but to love!  God loves us unconditionally, and we are to love as God loves.  That is not meant to be easy but is possible through the work of Christ in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

I have told people for a long time that love is not only an emotion. It is a choice!  We are too often enamored with William Shakespeare’s popularization of “Romantic Love” and gotten away from the biblical depiction of “Love by Choice.”  God chose to love us; He did not “fall in love with us.”  We “grow” into love. It is not a mud puddle that we fall into.  As we get to know someone, we become more and more attracted to them, and we “grow into love.” 

Love should be stronger after 50 years of marriage than in the honeymoon stage.   The more I know God, the more I love God, and the more I love God, the more I want to know God and please God, and it is the same with us among men.  It is time that we as believers strive to exhibit the true evidence that we Love God by Loving!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Matthew 15:8-11 – “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'” 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.'” NIV

I rarely use the NIV, but today, I found that how this is worded is precisely what I believe God would have us hear.  Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and others in Israel regarding “tradition” and “man-made rules and regulations.”  In my years of studying the Scripture, I have found that Jesus never minced words and had an uncanny way of getting to the point and doing so pointedly but always demonstrating a desire for redemption and restoration.

Here, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah and identified a problem that is not new to today’s church but certainly exists.  Sadly, when polled, many people claim to be Christians and believe in God but do not practice what they say they believe. 

Likewise, many churches, denominations, and sects have their list of “rules and regulations” or “traditions” that they elevate above God and even the Word of God.  They believe they are honoring God and following His word but are doing so in vain because their “worship” is based on “man-made doctrine” rather than true worship of the Living God!  They justify themselves by saying things like, “I go to church, I pay tithes, I do good works, etc.” but not with their hearts.

In Matthew 23:27- 28, Jesus said, “A Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside, they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.  28 “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

I understand why some are turned off by what is often labeled as Christianity today.  I remember being told by a fellow minister about a situation he encountered.  There was a man in his community who was dying of cancer, and a number of his congregation had gathered at his house to pray for him and comfort the family. 

The man smoked and asked one of the older women in the crowd if she would light him a cigarette.  He did not ask her to put it in her mouth, just light it for him while he held it in his mouth as he could barely lift his arms from weakness.  He wanted her to hold the cigarette for him. 

She lashed at him in a shocking way.  This minister said, “God had set me free from cigarettes without me even asking Him to do so, and I am still grateful.”  He said, “I knew that she believed that smoking was a sin, but I expected more Christian compassion in the situation.”  She informed the dying man that she would rather strip naked and walk down main street than take one of the devil’s coffin nails in her hand and that he was going to hell if he did not repent. 

He said, “I thought the example she used was strange and wondered how the two related but never dared ask.”  He went to the man’s bedside, took a cigarette out of the pack on the nightstand, put it in his mouth, lit it for him, and assisted him as he smoked what was his final cigarette. 

This minister did not smoke and would prefer no one smoke.  However, the woman’s reaction did not lead the man to God or demonstrate Christian compassion.  After he finished the cigarette, he said, “I asked him if he knew Jesus.  He said, “Well, not really.  I joined the church when I was about 12, but no preacher. I guess I do not know Him.”  

This minister asked him if he would like to make peace with God, acknowledge his sins, and receive Jesus as his savior.  He looked through eyes filled with tears and said, “A few minutes ago, I would have cursed at you thinking you were like Mrs. (calling her name), but you have shown me something I have never encountered before.  You did not judge me for doing what I know you do not believe in. Instead, you showed me kindness.  I sense something in you that I do not think I have seen in church or from church people before.  I feel something that I have never felt before, and if that is what God brings to people, then, yes, I would like to know him.”  They prayed as he wept before the Lord and received Christ.  Later that afternoon, he passed away.

I am not saying this to elevate anyone, but that is the kind of compassion I received from people trying to lead me to Christ, and I have never forgotten it.  Jesus said that the person who is forgiven much loves much, and I was forgiven a mountain of sin.  How could we not show love and compassion to someone in that condition?  

If that minister had followed the way of the Pharisees, that man would never have had the opportunity to receive Jesus before dying.  I have been told repeatedly by ministers that they do not believe in “deathbed salvation.” That is their choice, but events like that remind me of God’s love and grace-filled grace. 

I pray that God will help me be that compassionate to someone on the brink of eternity.  I pray that the door to sharing God’s message of hope presents itself and that I will not fail to walk through it. 

May God be with you as you go through your day. Remember that one small act of kindness and love may be the difference between someone receiving Christ or rejecting Him.  Blessings!

Genesis 50:15-21 – “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ” What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17’Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”‘ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 “So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So, he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

I guess if you only read this part of the entire story of the “Life of Joseph,” you might think that the old saying, “Time heals all wounds,” was accurate, but if you read the entire story, you will see something you probably missed. 

In this brief devotional, I hope to point you to a “higher revelation” that Time Heals Nothing!  Yet, there is the opportunity for the Total Healing of the Total Man in the Finished Work of Jesus and His Unconditional Love!

I suggest that “time” outside the Finished Work of Christ is an enemy, not a friend.  I ask that you hear the conclusion of the whole matter before rendering a judgment on what I am saying. That will require you to go back and reread much of the history of Joseph and Israel in the Bible.  It will take time, but it will be an exciting and beneficial journey. 

I hope to enable each of us somehow to see “How” to live our everyday life in the Unconditional Love of God amidst all the “Hurts, Beatings, Wounds, Fears, and Anxieties of Life.”  I am talking about Total Freedom and Total Healing for the Total Man.  Many do not even believe that is possible, much less possess it.  My question is, “Are you interested in Total Freedom?”

Let Us Consider a Brief Background.

Remember the story of the Kid Joseph with his special treatment by his father, his dreams, and visions; you will recall how horribly mistreated he was by his brothers to the point that they “sold him” as a slave while fabricating a story of his death to their father. 

Once Joseph arrived in Egypt, he received promotion after promotion and problem after problem until he was elevated to Second in Command. Years later, we come to the timeframe of our text, and his brothers stand before him in fear and trembling. 

They were petrified because the “boy” they had sold into slavery was not the second most powerful man on earth as they knew it and held their lives in his hands.  What if he holds a grudge, as they were optimistic, he would? 

They expected him to get even.  Then their father, Jacob, died, and they fabricated a story to tell Joseph to save their hides. Joseph responded by basically saying, “Do you realize what you are saying?  You are afraid I will Get Even!  Am I in God’s place?  Oh, I know what you did to me!  You meant it for “evil,” but God meant it for “good.”  That is Incredible!  How would you have responded?

The key, I believe, is that long before Joseph arrived in Egypt, he handled this.  I mean, he settled it with God.  If you study the timeline of his life, you will realize that he likely heard the story of Abraham from his grandfather Isaac while sitting on his knee. 

He had heard the Story of Covenant from his youth and knew God!  Moreover, he trusted God and knew that for God to fulfill His Promises, God would take care of Him so He could curl up in the Unconditional Love of God and Forgive!  He was able to release his anger, the pain, and any bitterness he had, and I believe he did it before he got to Egypt, or he would have died a bitter old man in slavery in Egypt, and we would never have heard of him again.

It was not time but Love that Healed Him!  Time only affords us the time to become calloused to the wound and live through the pain. It never removes it completely. Only love, forgiveness, and releasing it can do that.  So, if you are dealing with something and hoping that “Time will heal it,” turn it loose and run to the arms of God and His love.  It is there that there is Healing!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Proverbs 4:11-13 – “I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.  13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.”  NKJV

I love the Book of Proverbs and the nuggets of helpful wisdom provided within its pages.  Here in Chapter Four, we find an incredible tidbit of advice that opens the door to a life of Victory in Jesus! 

Consider what we are told:

• We have been taught the way of wisdom.
• We have been led in the right paths.
• Therefore, when we walk, our steps will not be hindered.
• And, when we run, we will not stumble.
• Therefore, make it your prime objective to take a firm hold on instruction and realize that in God’s instruction is Life.

We have the Word of God, penned by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, spanning centuries and lasting for eternity.  Within the pages of the Holy Book are the answers to life’s most challenging and simple problems. When coupled with a relationship with the true author and shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, it is a guidebook for life.

We know the right paths or Path – – JESUS!  He is the way, the truth, and the life.  He is the Door.  He is our access to the Father.  He is the narrow way that leads to life and that eternal.  We know through the wisdom we have been taught and the work of the Holy Spirit as He is made real in our hearts.

As we enter into a relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit and allow the Bible to be our “sourcebook of life and living,” we find that our steps are not hindered.  As the Bible declares, we will hear that still small voice saying, “This is the way walk in it.”  

If God is for us, who can be against us, or as I like to say, what difference does it make who is against us?  We will be able to run this race with no fear of stumbling or being tripped up.  We will not be like a boat on the waters tossed about by the waves and the wind.  We will be Rock Solid in Jesus!

God’s Word is not just an essential part of our daily lives. It is a vital part.   It is essential.  I hope that if you are not currently making it a daily part, you will begin to do so immediately.  Take a few minutes each day to allow the Word of God to speak to your heart, impart God’s wisdom, and equip you for the journey.

May the Lord be with you as you go through your day!

Romans 5:1-5 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 

Once we have become members of the Body of Christ and the Family of God, we will experience difficulties or tribulations.  We will experience them before our conversion, but once converted, we will experience them in direct connection to our faith and our walk with God. 

The apostle Paul informs us that we are to “exult” or “rejoice” as did James regarding tribulations, difficulties, and trials.  He tells us that some specific benefits will result from these encounters.

• Tribulation brings about Perseverance.
• Perseverance brings about Proven Character.
• Proven Character brings about Hope.
• Hope does not Disappoint because the Love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

If we do not persevere, we will be like the seed sown in rocky soil. While it may spring up quickly because it has no root, it will wither and die.  But if we persevere, we will find that the result is Proven Character, and as a result, we will be anchored in Hope!

Character is important to God, and much is said in the Bible regarding it.  People look for character in Christians and are motivated and drawn to what we have to offer in Christ when they see it.  They are repulsed and repelled when they do not see or see a deficiency in it.  We have all been told, “Christians are no different than the world.  They do the same things and live with no higher standard.”  However, we should! 

It is incumbent upon us to present a life to the world that is above reproach.  We must demonstrate Proven Character in every situation because we are children of the Most High God.  We are not just representing ourselves. We are representatives of God, and we should manifest Him in our character.

It has been said, “You are the only Bible some people will ever read; what is the Gospel according to you?”  That is a sobering thought.  The fact that my life, actions, and character can be a motivation or a stumbling block for another person challenges me constantly to strive to demonstrate a Godly Character.

Do I fail?  Absolutely!  Do I keep trying?  Absolutely!  It is not whether I fail or not from time to time. Do I keep Pressing toward the mark of the Prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus?  Without Question!

May God enable you to present a life example to those within your sphere of influence that draws others to Him.  Blessings as you go through your day!

Psalm 6:9 – “The LORD has heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer.” NKJV

Many times in David’s life, he was under pressure, and stress or distress filled his days.  God called David a man after His own heart.  I believe that one of the reasons was that David had always had a heart for God.  He could look around and recognize the wickedness and desire other than that.  He truly desired to please God and was confident that if he turned to God, God would turn to him.  Thus, the basis of this prayer is hope in the Lord that God not only heard him but received his prayer!

I believe that Scriptures like this one and the truth that it presents was the basis of John’s words in 1 John 5:14-15 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” NKJV

The early Christians had a confidence in God that propelled them to achieve great things for the Kingdom and should do the same for us.  It kept them steadfast amid the storms of life and gave them a deep, settled peace and assurance that God heard them and the answer was on the way.  We should have the same confidence, and as the writer of Hebrews declares in Hebrews 10:35 – “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” NKJV

I firmly believe that God loves us so much that He carefully listens to our cries or prayers.  He wants to respond to our petitions, and when he finds a heart filled with expectation and confidence in Him, He is moved with deep compassion. 

There is something about having the confidence that God has not only heard you but received your petition and is responding to it.  You may not know when the answer is coming or even how it is coming, but in your heart, you know it is coming.  There is something not only comforting about that but will embolden your spirit and quicken your resolve to continue your walk and work in Him.

Do not look at man. You will grow despondent.  Look to God, and your heart will rise above the problems of this life and soar into the presence of the Almighty.  There will come a peace within your inner self that will enable you to enjoy His Grace and Peace amid the storms of life.  Remember, God is on your side and always on the side of right!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Hebrews 10:23-25 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  NASB

Those of us who have confessed or professed Jesus as our Lord and Savior need to hear this.  We need to get this truth into the deep recesses of our spirits!  We dare not waver in our commitment to that confession or profession. 

The devil brings doubt, questions, and vain discussions about the Bible’s validity, supposed errors, and interpretations, but is Jesus the Son of God?  If you believe He is, there is nothing more to discuss regarding your Confession of Faith. 

We must seek to stimulate or encourage each other in that commitment, profession, or declaration of our faith.  We do so through Love and Good Deeds.  We do so by becoming a part of a local assembly where we can unite with other believers and use the strength in numbers truth to help us make it through good and bad times.  We are part of each other.  None of us are islands to ourselves and need each other.

It is more than just getting together for fellowship and mutual sharing. It is a time when the Master Builders that God has chosen for that Body can fitly frame us into a Spiritual House through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is a time when we, as living stones, are assembled into a fully functioning arm of the Lord to accomplish His purposes.  

Does that mean you will agree with everything the church leadership does – I doubt it!  I doubt they will agree with everything you think, do, or say.  We all are still human; in case you have forgotten. 

When I find people who cannot or will not submit to legitimate spiritual authority, I see people who are easy targets for the devil in deception and are easily swayed into wrong and even false doctrine. Does any local congregation have it all absolutely right? NO! Is the local assembly needed, and does it provide a needed ministry?  YES!  

Do I think that there is room for improvement in becoming more in harmony with the pattern of the New Testament Church?  Absolutely!  So, how do we accomplish that?  We work together, encourage each other, and refuse to allow schisms and divisions among us.

May God be with you as you go through your day in Him!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” NKJV

It is likely that each of us has lost a loved one and has known the unpleasantness of grief.  I have experienced the pain of having people I cared for deeply pass on to the other side. In some of those cases, I had a measure of uncertainty about the condition of their souls.  I had talked to them about the Lord, and some of them had assured me that Jesus was their Lord, but their lives seemed to contradict that assertion.  I made and make no attempt to judge them, for that is God’s business, and I will continue to hope that they were sheltered beneath His wings as they departed this life and entered that eternal state. 

I know the emptiness of having a loved one or a family member depart from this life and the realization that I will never, in this life, get to hear them speak or tell them the things that are in my heart concerning them again.  The pain can be excruciating and of long duration. Yet, I know that God intends for us to live, and I believe that those in heaven would desire that as well.

I know the pain of loneliness and, at the same time, the joy of knowing that they passed from a troubled world into one that knows no trouble.  They passed from a world filled with sorrow to one that knows no sorrow.  I know that they are in a far better world than those of us left behind, but missing them and grieving that loss is still natural and even healthy when done biblically.

I have been at memorial services where there was such a spirit or morbidity that one could hardly stand.  Yet in others, there was such a spirit of peace and joy that one could hardly keep from leaping to one’s feet and shouting “Hallelujah.” In one case, there was Hope, and in the other, only Grief. 

I like how Paul concluded his statement concerning this eventuality and the reality of death.  In verse 18, he said, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”  What words? 

• That we do not sorrow as those who have no hope.
• That our loved ones who have died in the Lord are with the Lord. 
• That those of us who remain will one day also be with the Lord.
• That Jesus is coming back for us all.
• That we will one day leave this world behind, giving it a permanent wave and entering into the eternal presence of the Lord.

Those words!  Losing a loved one when there is Hope is a type of Grieving that can be endured and even be a source of rejoicing, as well as giving us a purpose and determination to live in such a way as to see them again.

I ask that the LORD God will be with you as you go through this day!  May He turn your mourning into dancing and your sorrow into joy in all things and at all times!  Blessings!